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Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Sewing Swimwear - Jalie 3023

There is not a lot of sewing going on around these parts at the moment, due to an imminent house move, so I thought I would share this swimming outfit I made for the child just before our recent holiday.

The pattern I used is Jalie 3023 which has all the sizes in which I chose so I could make myself some swimwear too but what I really wanted to do for me is make the Watson Bra as a bikini top and draft some high waisted bottoms to go with it. I have the fabric and some of the notions so at some point I will be doing that, just need to pluck up the courage!

I started with the tank top from the pattern but left off the side ruching (is that even a word?!). After measuring properly this time I decided to go for the third size which is just a bit bigger than her measurements. I don't know if I have made a mistake somewhere along the way but the pink straps stick out slightly under the arms when it's on. It is not that noticeable and the Child does not care in the least but I am not 100% happy. I did wonder if the straps were narrower this would not happen.

I also made the bottoms using this pattern but I did not finish them. I found them too fiddly to make and they looked quite skimpy for a little girl. Instead I turned to KitschyCoo's Boy Cut Brief pattern. I know this fits well, I like the finish on it and there is plenty of coverage. I sized up to the 4-5 but should probably be doing this for all her underwear now anyway. She thought they were really comfortable!

I also made a short sleeved t-shirt, like a mock rashie, using the KitschyCoo Skater Dress as a base. I lengthened the bodice by 13cm and added a few centimetres to the width of the neck band to give it some extra height. I was really happy with this and if we had been somewhere really hot it would have helped keep the sun off a bit.

I bought this fabric from Funki Fabrics and got half a metre each of the two prints. Out of this amount I managed to make two different tops and two bottoms (although as I said above one did not get finished) so each outfit cost £9, which I think is quite good. I will be interested to see how the fabric washes and wears but at the moment it feels really nice and better quality than supermarket swimwear.

I think I will continue to make at least the Child's swimming costumes. I had fun making it (after all, sewing is a hobby and should be fun!) and it was certainly appreciated. Out of the scraps I made Edwina a little swimming costume too, I think she enjoyed her holiday but she thought the pool was a bit on the chilly side so she stayed on the side!